Brothers Justin and Thomas Fischer hold up a 5.5-pound blackfish outside of Michael's Bait and Tackle in Great Kills, following the "Blackfish Tournament" hosted by the Staten Island Tuna Club.
(Staten Island Advance/Mark Stein)

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. - GREAT KILLS - Fishing is not just a summer pastime: The Staten Island Tuna Club rounded out its tournament season with a Blackfish Tournament just this past weekend.

It kicked off on Friday and lasted until Sunday afternoon; final weigh-in came around 3 p.m.

Seven boats carrying over a dozen competitors among them sailed the waters off of Great Kills Harbor during the weekend, with some fishermen going out more often than others, hoping to land extra blackfish.

Participants needed to weigh their four heaviest blackfish to place first, second or third.

Attendees on Sunday said the last day of the tournament was the best day to go, but it wasn't perfect at first.

Walter Fisher, of the Tuna Club, and his two sons, Justin, 10, and Thomas, 8, set sail early Sunday around 4:30 a.m. and returned around 2 p.m.

"It was real snotty out at first, but the fishing was really good," said Fisher, who explained that the tide was rough initially, but evened out as the afternoon neared.

Fisher finished third, with his top four blackfish weighing in at 21 pounds.

Kerry Ash won first place with a combined 29.95 pounds of blackfish; Frank Merlo was second with 29.35 pounds.

Overall, he and his young sons caught 35 blackfish while aboard their boat, Fisher Boys, with Justin catching his first, which weighed five pounds.

"It was awesome," said his son, who told the Advance that he, his brother and father went to sleep around 7:30 p.m. the night before.

Anthony Pagano said he and the other fishermen had a good day. His biggest catch was about six pounds.

Pagano said the waves were rough in the morning, but they laid down as the day progressed.

"It was gorgeous," he said.

"It would have been nice to have a few more boats, but it's hard this time of year," said Fisher, noting that many are already out of the water and that the weather is more unpredictable in the colder months.

The Blackfish Tournament ended a season that Fisher said was good, except for fluke fishing.

He said some organizations have installed extra restrictions on fishing, making it more difficult for folks to get out on the water and stay competitive, because "you can't keep much."

Fisher has been involved in the sport and hobby most of life and has noted the changes.

"On the wall here," he said, referring to Michael's Bait & Tackle on Mansion Avenue, near the water. "you see the giant tunas from the 1980s, but now you can't keep them anymore."

The Staten Island Tuna Club kicks off its season next year in March. A striped bass tournament in April is the first big competition scheduled.